Sinn Féin - On Your Side

Sinn Féin spokesman on Fisheries, Martin Ferris TD, commenting on the
reports in the Guardian newspaper of exploitation and abuse of non-EU fishermen
in the Irish industry, said that anyone involved in such practices should be
named, shamed and condemned without exception.

Deputy Ferris said:

“The majority of those who are involved in the Irish fishing industry
are decent, hard-working people, struggling to make a living in a sector which
has been neglected by successive governments and suffering from a lack of
quota.

“Anyone, however, who is involved in such exploitation and abuse should
be named, shamed and condemned. The report in the Guardian highlights the need
for a seafarers’ charter to protect the rights of workers on the sea, where the
same protections enjoyed by land-based workers should be in force.

"At a time when fishermen are subject to the strictest vigilance
regarding their quotas and catch, the Irish authorities should be more vigilant
about workers' rights and conditions at sea."